Thank you to everyone who attended our Open House/45th Anniversary event on March 22. We were so happy to see so many elected officials, volunteers, donors, board members and other supporters in attendance. It is thanks in large part to all of your support that we were able to move to a larger office with more space to serve clients. For those who couldn’t attend, here’s a look at our new space:

 

 

 

 

We’re now conveniently located on the second floor of the same building at 1506 E. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill.

 

 

 

 

 

When clients come to see us, they’ll walk into a private reception area where they’ll be greeted by a friendly face, like that of our lovely staff member Stephanie. Adjacent to the reception area is a cozy space where new clients can talk one-on-one with an advocate to learn about the services available to them through the Center, including therapy and support groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We now have more space for large gatherings including support groups, trainings, and meetings with community members. We’ve already hosted a Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Crisis Response Committee (DVSARC) meeting and a Latinx DVSARC meeting as well as workshops in the new space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open House/45th Anniversary Photo Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Nationally, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18.  The Orange County Rape Crisis Center regularly provides prevention education at schools Orange County through the Safe Touch program.  In addition to classroom education, there are things that adults can do to help prevent children from becoming victims of sexual abuse.

You have heard it everywhere, from your doctor to your mechanic, that prevention is key. However, we do not always jump to prevention as a key way to fight child abuse. Why is this? It’s because acknowledging that prevention is a powerful tool means acknowledging that child sexual abuse permeates every social, economic, racial, and religious group. It means acknowledging that “stranger danger” is not enough. It means that we need to have constant conversations with our children about their bodies, about consent, and about who they can turn to for help. If you have never done this and are stressed about how to do this- do not fret! The Orange County Rape Crisis Center has a wide variety of resources to help begin this conversation from books, to conversation starters, to online resources. While you may always call or email us with specific questions, below are some simple tips and tricks to navigating this topic with your child. Please remember that every child is different, and you will learn what works best for your own!

1.Help them understand which parts of their body are private without making those parts shameful or taboo. They should be able to distinguish their private parts just like they would their elbow or their nose.

2. Clearly distinguish the times when it is okay for a grown up to touch their private parts for example- “When mommy/daddy needs to change the baby’s diaper, when the doctor gives you an exam, etc.”

3.Practice active consent with your child and make it clear to anyone who spends time with your child to practice consent as well. This means asking before you touch their body (and vice versa) and listening to when they look uncomfortable or say no.

4. Normalize asking them about their feelings especially if they are involved in a new activity or if someone new enters their life. “How was your day at camp? What made you happy at school? Was anything confusing or uncomfortable?”

5. Create a safety plan with your child. Ask them to brainstorm different people they trust who they can tell if they every have a problem. Talk about how to contact each person.

Prevention education is a vital component to fighting child sexual abuse. If you would like to receive more information, contact the Orange County Rape Crisis Center at 919-968-4647 or visit www.ocrcc.org. If you or a loved one has had a negative sexual experience, call our confidential 24-hour help line at 1-866-WE-LISTEN.

Aryana Ainolhayat is the Youth Education Coordinator for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center and teaches Safe Touch at several schools in Orange County. Safe Touch uses research-based practices and age-appropriate material for children ages 3-12, along with companion materials for their parents. Safe Touch can be provided on request to schools or to other community groups.

 

The OCRCC mourns and condemns the sudden and violent removal of over 225 North Carolinians from their homes and families by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the past week. Day after day we wake to the horrifying news that our neighbors have been snatched from their children’s hands while walking them to school, taken from their places of work without the chance to warn their families, and rounded up as collateral in what ICE officials have publically indicated is a politically motivated retaliation against local communities for their election of sheriffs who have resisted the ICE agenda.

Those of us who have felt the terror of interpersonal violence– as survivors and as advocates supporting survivors day in and day out—feel a twinge of recognition in these stories. Whether interpersonal or state-sponsored, terror is terror. Trauma is trauma. Any violation of the right to safety and bodily autonomy is a violation we must fight. What’s more, we must recognize that our mission to end sexual violence and its impact requires that we stand up against any move to increase vulnerability for already vulnerable people. Over the last couple of years as anti-immigrant rhetoric and violence has ramped up across the country, agencies like ours that provide critical services to immigrant and refugee populations see how hard it has become for clients to continue (or even begin) their healing. Survivors living at the intersections of interpersonal and state violence face difficult questions that interfere with an already daunting walk down the path towards healing — questions like: How can I speak up about the violence I’ve experienced if I can’t trust the very institutions that I’m supposed to report to? How can I seek relief without risking deportation for myself or my harm-doer, on whom my family relies? Why risk the drive to my therapy appointments? How can I concentrate on healing from my sexual abuse when I wake up every day terrified that I won’t get to see my children again?

The OCRCC envisions a just and equitable world free of sexual violence and all other forms of oppression. We stand in solidarity with the brave Latinx-led movements organizing for an end to the ICE raids and support for the families already impacted by them. If you are looking for ways to support their work, see below for a list of helpful actions compiled by local Latinx leaders.

Plan for Safety
Know Your Rights and learn what do to if ICE is at your door. Even if they’re not there for you, knowing your rights can provide a critical safety measure to someone else in your home or place of business.

Extra Credit: If you are a business owner or part of an organization, consider your policies regarding what you do when ICE and/or law enforcement knocks at your door.  Decide what your organization’s protocol will be to keep everyone safe, and make sure everyone (especially those who may answer the door or greet customers) knows it, too.

If you can, please OFFER RIDES to those you know who are undocumented/have DACA.

The following guide to safety planning was prepared for our client services staff by a local attorney. Please feel free to share this with anyone you work with:

Steps clients can take, in order to prepare things, in the event of being detained/deported:

1. Create a power of attorney
   • Burgos will be in the office on Thursday 2/21 and she is happy to do those for clients free of charge

If a survivor is pulled over by an ICE agent or detained by an ICE agent:

1. Tell the agent that they are asserting their right to remain silent (they must say this, they cannot simply remain silent, the right must be affirmatively asserted)
2. Tell the agent they want an attorney
   • They will not be assigned a Public Defender when they ask for an attorney, our friend, Atty. Pahola Burgos will be sharing a list of immigration attorneys that do pro-bono and low-bono work so that we can share it with our clients
3. Do not sign anything!

If ICE agents come to a survivor’s door:

1. Don’t open the door, but keep calm.  You have rights!
2. Ask why they are there, and ask for an interpreter if necessary
3. IF they ask to come into your house, ask if they have a warrant signed by a judge
   • If they have it, ask them to show it to you (either through the window or by slipping it under the door)
4. If they don’t have a warrant signed by a judge, you can refuse entry into your home.  Ask them to leave whatever information they may have by your door
5. IF they come in by force
   • Do not resist
   • Tell everyone that is present in the home to remain silent
   • If they arrest you
     • Assert your right to remain silent
     • Ask for an attorney
     • Do NOT sign anything!

6. Please note that an administrative ICE form I-200 or I-205 is NOT a warrant signed by a judge

Give
Liberation, Not Deportation Regional Fund  El Centro Hispano and The Hispanic Liaison have joined forces to create a “Liberation Not Deportation Regional Fund” to help pay for the legal representation fees for families impacted by these raids in Orange, Durham, Chatham, Lee, Randolph and Wake counties. All donations will be used to help our families stand a chance to reunite with their loved ones.

Donations for Durham Families of Detained Individuals All of the money collected by Mi Maletin through this form will be used to purchase supplies for families who are missing breadwinners on account of their family members being detained. Mi Maletin has done this at the request of Durham community leaders. Any questions should be directed to Polanco Law at info@polancolaw.com, as the Polanco Law firm along with the Gardner Law firm is leading the response effort to assist the families affected.

Show Up
Triad Rapid Response Team Student Action with Farmworkers is organizing a rapid response network of volunteers who can respond on scene at reported  or suspected ICE raids to observe, record, and distribute information about detainees rights. If you have 2+ hours of availability and personal transportation, sign up to learn more here.

Intervene as an Ally
Witnessing a raid or detention is scary. Here is a recommended plan form local Latinx organization RadarSafe:

If you see a raid happening, call your local hotline RadarSafe at 1-800-559-8714. (Nat’l hotline: 1-844-363-1423.) Record the badge numbers of agents, type of car, location and exactly what happened. It’s important to get the most accurate information possible. Take photos if possible.

If you are in the process of witnessing a detention, START RECORDING IT IMMEDIATELY. If you can, ask the detainees their families’ names and contact info so that they can be notified, and ask where the detainees are being taken. You have a right to be present, observing, bearing witness, praying, photographing and videotaping (though your right to videotape a law enforcement action may vary by state). If ICE warns you and asks you to step back while videoing/photographing, it is best to follow directions, as they may confiscate your camera.

Advocate
Petition the Governor If you are part of an organization, considering signing on this petition condemning the ICE raids and calling on Governor Cooper to do the same.

Call your Elected Officials: Consider calling on your elected officials to pressure ICE to leave our communities and refocus their efforts on international crime syndicates and trafficking circles instead of our friends and neighbors, and schools. For Orange County, your US Senator and Representatives are:

David Price (919)967-7924
Richard Burr (202)224-3154
Thom Tillis (202)224-6342

Get Connected
The following organizations work day in and day out to advocate for the Latinx community across NC. Connect with these organizations to stay informed and find ways to provide ongoing support.

El Vinculo Hispano (follow them on Facebook)
El Centro Hispano  (Follow them on Facebook )
El Pueblo, Inc.  (Follow them on Facebook )
Siembra NC
RadarSafe

In times like these, it can be extremely difficult to tune out the onslaught of conversations about sexual violence. People are posting about it online and talking about it in person nonstop. For survivors of sexual violence, hearing people talk about it all the time can be exhausting and, in some cases, triggering. There’s no guaranteed way to avoid all the buzz and difficult feelings about sexual violence, but I do have a few tips on how to manage.

1) Develop a strategy for media consumption. 

When sexual violence is discussed constantly in the news, on social media, and in conversations with friends and family, it can be incredibly easy to feel triggered. An easy piece of advice would be to stay off the internet, but not only is that impossible for some people, but it’s also not going to block everything out. So when I know people are going to be talking about it, or when I want to stay informed without feeling unsafe, I find it helpful to develop a strategy for my consumption of media. For example: when I’m looking through news articles and Tweets about sexual violence, I skip past anything that seems inflammatory or argumentative, and instead focus on either objective-style news reporting or empathetic comments from trusted sources. I also find it’s a good idea to figure out ahead of time how to deal with alarming or triggering content. I start by writing down a list of things that help me to cope and carry it with me, like breathing exercises, funny memes or distractions, and friends I can call. I also write down reminders for myself, like “I am safe” and “I am strong enough to survive these feelings.” It’s nearly impossible to walk through life without being reminded of the violence that surrounds us, but self-care can combat these reminders, which brings me to the next tip…

2) Make self-care personal.

Self-care is the act of a person doing what they need to do to cope and process their feelings. I love the idea of self-care and the fact that it has entered the mainstream spotlight. But, sometimes I don’t relate to the typical self-care suggestions. I personally don’t like baths, I’m not a big tea drinker, and I often get distracted while listening to music. I know that these activities are often helpful for people who are feeling overwhelmed, but I frequently have to remind myself that these are not the only options for self-care. It can look however you want it to look. For me, I often re-watch Grey’s Anatomy for the thousandth time when I’m going through a particularly difficult period.

In terms of processing my feelings, sometimes it helps to write things down (like in our creative writing and zine-making workshop), but sometimes I would rather call a friend and talk about it, or make some abstract art to put images to how I’m feeling. All of those are perfectly normal modes of expression. Therapy can also be an incredibly useful tool in exploring any feelings that are coming up. If you don’t currently have access to a therapist, you can see one of our counselors or we can recommend one in the area.

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter how I do self-care or how people on Instagram do it — what matters is what works for you. Think about what makes you happy and calm, write down a list, and keep it for when times are hard. And if something isn’t making you feel better, ditch it! Try something else. As long as you’re being safe, there’s no wrong way to take care of yourself.

3) Don’t feel like you have to join the conversation.

For the last couple years, as #MeToo has taken over social media and the news cycle, it has become almost expected that survivors will share their story in order to bring attention to this tremendously important issue. However, it’s not your personal responsibility to raise awareness or educate at your own expense. Not everyone is ready to talk about their experiences at the same time. Some people are never ready to talk about it, and that’s okay. Not to mention, there’s a huge difference between sharing a story with trusted friends and loved ones, and sharing a story with the entire world. Some brave survivors are stepping up at a time when this movement is gaining a lot of momentum, and that is an incredibly beautiful thing. But no one is obligated to do that. Everyone has their own journey, and no one should feel pressured into doing something that would make them uncomfortable or unsafe. Choosing not to share does not make you any less of a strong survivor.

It’s your decision how to share your story. No matter how you react to the media and the public discussion of sexual violence, you are strong and your experience is valid. These tips may not give you everything you need to get through discussions of sexual violence in the media, but supportive friends and family, a therapist, and resources here at the OCRCC can also help. You can always call our hotline at 866-WE LISTEN (935-4783) or 919-967-7273. Please remember to reach out if you’re having trouble, and make space for yourself to experience your feelings as they come. This world of violence is difficult to navigate for us all, and it takes immense strength, but you’re not alone in this journey.

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Olivia Neal is our 2018 Digital Media Intern at OCRCC, and a senior at UNC studying English and Women’s and Gender Studies. She loves poetry, soft indie music, and her cat, Baby Spice.

These past few days have been heavy for those of us who care for sexual violence survivors- and even more so for the thousands of survivors in our own community. Sexual assault helplines across the state have seen an uptick in calls from survivors of all genders seeking support in their journey towards healing. Some of them want to press charges, inspired by the courage they’ve witnessed in Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony.

Regardless of your political views, you are surrounded by survivors of sexual violence, and many of them are struggling this week to keep their heads above water. If the #MeToo movement has taught us anything, it is that none of us is untouched by sexual violence. Over the last year, you have no doubt learned uneasy things about people you love. The promise of this movement all along has rested on the proposition that as more and more people who previously thought their lives had been untouched by sexual violence come to realize they, too, have survivors in their families and communities that their compassion will grow. When your sister, brother, daughter, spouse, best friend said “Me too,” they were hoping you might see their pain as valid and deserving of support. The gamble has been whether that support and compassion is transferable- if your survivors deserve support, maybe all survivors do? For those of us who spend our days working to end sexual violence and its impact, this week has been a nail-biting test of this gamble. The question on our minds has not been “Is she telling the truth?” but rather, “Will it matter?”

The answer to this question won’t come from the decisions rendered in this investigation and confirmation vote. There are far too many other complicating factors to muddy the waters here, and in the end I am not particularly hopeful that the partisan motivations of our leaders can be fully outweighed today by the courage and passion of survivors and advocates. Perhaps I’ll be proven wrong. I sure hope so. For me, the answer to this question will be answered in homes across the country, in classrooms and football practices and car rides and family dinners.

I invite you to read this message free from the partisan arguments and analysis that we’ve come to accept as debate, and to consider what we have all just witnessed from the perspective of a young survivor of sexual assault who has not yet found the words to describe what they’ve endured. Or better yet, as that young person’s parent, teacher, or neighbor. If you have found yourself questioning the motivations or veracity of those who come forward to disclose past sexual assaults, that is of course your right. But consider the message it sends to that young person in earshot of you. Will she tell you when she’s been hurt? Will he come to you to recount the horrors visited upon him by his classmates? Or might their memories of this historic moment be marked by clues that despite what they’ve been told in school, at home and in their community, it’s actually not ever safe to name their attacker?

If you find yourself struggling under the weight of silence, doubt, and uncertainty, know that there are whole communities of people ready to receive you and your story. There is a place you can go where you will be believed, you will be supported, and you will be cared for.  You do not need a reason. You do not need to have all the details straight in your memory. You don’t even need to tell us what happened. You can just call.

Rape crisis centers have played a critical role in healing for survivors and communities for decades.  Through the provision of 24 Hour Crisis Helplines, pro bono therapy and support groups, and the promise of being by your side as you navigate whatever steps you want to take next, rape crisis centers provide a lifeline for survivors, even when their families cannot. If you or someone you know needs help, please consider calling us or your local rape crisis center. The North Carolina Coalitions Against Sexual Assault maintains an up-to-date listing of all helplines across the state. Outside of NC, contact the National Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN): 1-800-656-4673.

Perhaps you’re not feeling the need for support, but for action. Consider adding “Support My Local Rape Crisis Center” to your task list. Cash donations matter- it makes it possible for us to do all we do at no cost to survivors and their families. We also always need volunteers– to answer the Helpline, empower kids through education, and help us spread the word.

The answer to the question of whether or not the #MeToo movement has made a difference depends on us. Decide today if you’ll make it count.

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Rachel Valentine is Executive Director at the Orange County Rape Crisis Center in Chapel Hill. Rachel can be contacted at rvalentine@ocrcc.org or 919-968-4647.

Help us provide help, hope, and healing to those in our community and across the state, by making a gift to the Orange County Rape Crisis Center today. You can donate via credit card on our donation page or by sending a personal check to P.O. Box 4722, Chapel Hill, NC, 27515.

 

Myth: If she didn’t say no or fight back, then it wasn’t really rape.

Fact: If the victim was incapable of consent, if they were too scared to say no, or if they were coerced, then it was rape.

This myth assumes that victims will act a certain way during an assault. Many people imagine how they might react to the threat of violence. But without personal experience or an understanding of victim psychology, these imaginings are often not very close to reality. Furthermore, everyone reacts differently to the threat of violence, and there’s no “right” or “wrong” way for a victim to respond.

This myth also assumes that perpetrators are incapable of recognizing whether or not the victim is consenting unless they verbally say no. But people give or withhold consent in a nonverbal way all the time. The perpetrator is capable of recognizing and responding appropriately to nonverbal cues; they just choose to ignore them.

Many victims may be too scared to say no.

Sometimes the perpetrator may verbally threaten violence; sometimes the act itself or the physical size or strength of the perpetrator may cause the victim to fear further violence. Further, many victims may be so afraid that they are incapable of saying no. We often hear about the human “fight or flight” response. These two responses call up extra bursts of energy to either fight off an attacker or flee a dangerous situation. Both of these responses mean the victim has some hope of survival. But when the victim is so overwhelmed that they feel they have no hope of avoiding the danger, they may freeze instead of fighting or fleeing. Some victims may pass out, and others may disassociate, meaning they mentally detach from their bodies in order to avoid processing the trauma happening to them. The freeze response stops the victim from being capable of saying no, fighting back, or running from the attack. It may also prevent them from feeling pain during the attack and may cause them to have incomplete or even no memories afterward. In light of this additional freeze response, most psychologists now refer to the “fight, flight, or freeze” response.

Someone who is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol is incapable of giving consent.

If a person is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, they are unable to consent to sex— even if they verbally say yes. Oftentimes, we think of “incapacitated” as someone who is asleep or unconscious, but the truth is that sometimes, a person is incapacitated but is still able to walk, talk and retain some basic functioning skills. However, that person is still unable to give consent because they are incapable of making informed, rational judgments. A helpful analogy for this situation is that if a person is too drunk to drive, they are probably too drunk to give clear, conscious consent. Many of us have likely heard the myth that if a person chooses to engage in drug or alcohol use, they are responsible for taking care of themselves and making sure that no one takes advantage of them. This statement is untrue and blames survivors for their own assaults. In reality, the person initiating each sex act is always responsible for obtaining clear consent, regardless of their own or others’ level of intoxication.   

Someone who is coerced into sexual activity is not giving active consent.

If they were bribed, threatened, or blackmailed, then that is not true consent. Additionally, someone who is emotionally manipulated or worn down from repeated requests for sex may not be giving active consent either. The bottom line is that consent to any form of sexual activity is enthusiastic, affirmative, conscious, and freely-made. It is not transferrable from one time to the next—consent must be sought and received every single time. Consent is an ongoing process and is constantly communicated between partners through mutually understandable words or actions. Everyone has a responsibility to make sure their partner(s) feel happy and safe when engaging in any form of sexual activity.

This post is part of a series on Myths & Facts about Sexual Violence:

– Myth #1: “He Didn’t Mean To”
– Myth #2: “She Lied”
– Myth #3: “She Asked For It”
– Myth #4: “It Wasn’t Really Rape”

The OCRCC is deeply saddened and troubled by the recent ICE raids in Orange County. We want to express our solidarity with our Latinx and immigrant community, and our appreciation of the actions that El Centro Hispano has already taken. Raids like these damage individuals and communities and tear apart families- families that are often already disproportionately disadvantaged. Words never seem sufficient in expressing our disappointment and pain as we work to come to terms with the fear and chaos that these raids have created. The OCRCC would also like to reiterate that our services are confidential and that client information is kept private to the full extent allowed by law. If you have any questions about confidentiality, we welcome them. In an effort to minimize misinformation or create unnecessary panic, we encourage you to fact check any information you share and to reach out to El Centro Hispano for updates.

We offer our love and support to all those who have been impacted by these attacks on our community, and we offer the below resources (thanks to the Latino Health Coalition for sharing). Additionally, traumatic events like this may trigger previous traumas, including those resulting from sexual violence. If you or someone you know could benefit from our bilingual, free and confidential services, please contact our 24 hour help line at 1-866-WE LISTEN.

El Centro de Asistencia contra la Violencia Sexual está profundamente entristecido y preocupado por las recientes redadas de ICE en el Condado de Orange. Queremos expresar solidaridad con nuestra comunidad Latina e inmigrante, además de nuestro aprecio por las acciones que El Centro Hispano ha llevado a cabo. Redadas como esta lesionan no sólo a los individuos sino también a la comunidad en general, además de separar a las familias; familias que frecuentemente ya están desproporcionadamente en desventaja. Las palabras nunca son suficientes para expresar la decepción y el dolor que se siente a medida que trabajamos para llegar a un acuerdo con el miedo y el caos que estas redadas han creado. El Centro de Asistencia contra la Violencia Sexual también quiere reiterar que nuestros servicios son confidenciales y que la información de los clientes se mantiene privada a la medida que es permitido por la ley. Todas las preguntas que tenga sobre la confidencialidad serán bienvenidas. En un esfuerzo por minimizar la desinformación o crear pánico, los alentamos a que verifiquen la información que comparten y que se comuniquen con el Centro Hispano para mayor información.  

 Ofrecemos nuestro cariño y soporte a todas las personas que han sido impactadas por estos ataques a la comunidad, y ofrecemos los recursos mencionados más adelante (agradecemos a la Coalición de Salud Latina por compartir estos recursos). Asimismo, queremos reiterar que eventos traumáticos como este pueden detonar síntomas de trauma, incluidos aquellos relacionados con la violencia sexual. Si usted o alguien que usted conoce se puede beneficiar de nuestros servicios bilingües, gratuitos y confidenciales, por favor llame a nuestra línea de 24 horas 7 días a la semana al 1-866-935-4783.

Some attorneys recommended by El Centro/Algunos abogados recomendados por El Centro:

• Jack Rockers – 919-688-1788 – http://hatchrockers.com/contact/
• Beckie Moriello – 919-376-2933- https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckiemoriello/
• Yesenia Polanco – 919-294-8032 – https://www.polancolawpc.com/

 

Additional Resources/ Recursos adicionales:

Emergency Planning Guide for North Carolina Immigrants (English/Spanish)/ Guia de emergencia para los inmigrantes de Carolina del Norte: http://www.ncjustice.org/sites/default/files/EMERGENCY%20PLANNING%20GUIDE%20for%20IMMIGRANTS–final-web.pdf

Red Cards (English/Spanish)/tarjetas rojas: https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards

Know Your Rights (Various Languages)/ conoce tus derechos:
https://www.aclu.org/feature/know-your-rights-discrimination-against-immigrants-and-muslims?redirect=feature/know-your-rights-immigration#immigration

NC Justice Center has a website they designed to inform individuals about their rights when detained by police and/or ICE.  It’s available in English and Spanish, and has links for certain available resources. Este sitio esta diseñado para informar a los individuos acerca de sus derechos cuando son detenidos por la policía y/o ICE. Está en inglés y español y tiene links para otros recursos:  http://pickedupnc.com/en/

 

In honor of Relationship Violence Awareness Month, we bring you the first in a blog series by our resident expert on high school students,  Trinity Casimir.

What does an abusive relationship look like? When having conversations in school health classes or watching a movie, an abusive relationship conjures up certain images: a woman taking her children and escaping her husband on a Greyhound bus, broken dishes on the floor, a child carefully choosing outfits to conceal bruises, yelling in the night. While these scenarios are real and devastating, they do not encompass the full definition of abuse. What about the people suffering when no one has laid a finger on them? What about the men and boys pressured to appear invincible when they are hurt? What about high school students, whose relationships are fundamentally different from those of married couples, or even adults in general?

While most students are taught how to identify abuse, they may only be taught to see a narrow set of signs.  According to stoprelationshipabuse.org, relationship abuse includes a wide variety of tactics used to create a power imbalance in the relationship. Behaviors like emotional coercion, isolation, and intimidation can be used in any relationship at any age. A primary reason many teenagers in abusive relationships struggle to name that reality is because they do not identify with the victim that they see portrayed in media or that they learn about in health class. Likewise, teenagers who engage in abuse excuse their behavior because they have never seen themselves as the abuser. What abuse looks like in a high school relationship has yet to be illustrated, and toxic behaviors are quickly becoming normalized. In my school, it is almost commonplace for a partner to prevent their significant other from talking to groups of people or wearing certain clothes, to guilt trip and threaten them. These are all real forms of abuse but are often dismissed simply as childish behavior or as a result of hormones.

Another primary reason abusive relationships in high school go unaddressed is a failure on the part of adults to take teenagers’ relationships seriously. Adults who do not consider the gravity of teenagers’ romantic lives will fail to recognize the severity of abuse when it happens, which in turn deters high schoolers from reporting abuse. By seeking help, a student risks retribution, and when the adult takes no action, a student is left even more vulnerable. When students feel that they have no adult support or advocacy, they are severely limited in their options to escape an abusive relationship.

Some resources do, however, center teen lives and provide insight into how to help teens cope with relationship abuse. The website loveisrespect.org demonstrates the obstacles that youth in particular face in abusive relationships, and goes further to highlight the ways that identity matters with an exploration of special issues for certain cultures, LGBT+ couples, and immigration status that can further hinder someone from seeking help or addressing the toxicity of their relationship. For the more visually-minded, the One Love Foundation has created a series of videos on Youtube clearly contrasting healthy and unhealthy behaviors in a relationship. These videos give scenarios that allow for a difficult topic to be easily understood and are an excellent teaching tool for parents and teachers. The foundation also produced a film called “Escalation” that is recommended for a high school workshop.

So to answer the question, “What does an abusive relationship look like?”, it takes many different forms- all of which are valid and important to identify. Abusive relationships in high school remain underrepresented in the media, so we must take it upon ourselves to question “normalized” behaviors and encourage teenagers to do so in their own lives. Pushing for authority figures in schools to become educated on various types of abuse is also fundamental to create a supportive community that can ensure a safer environment for high schoolers.

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Trinity is is volunteer at the OCRCC and a student at East Chapel Hill High School. She is interested in sociology and the intersections between gender, race, and sexual assault as well as the presence of rape culture among youth. She is also a member of the Youth Against Rape Culture club at East.